East Hartford Police Chief Helps Nab Bank Robbery Suspect

Two suspected armed robbers are in custody after a lunchtime holdup and foot chase.

EAST HARTFORD — Police, including two of the highest-ranking members of the department, took two suspected bank robbers into custody Wednesday after a lunchtime holdup and foot chase.

The robbery was at the Wells Fargo bank, 18 Main Street, about 11:50 a.m. The fleeing suspects ditched their guns at a public housing complex, and one of them tried to carjack a car occupied by children, police said. No one was injured.

Police Chief Scott M. Sansom, with help from his deputy chief, made the first arrest.

Sansom happened to be driving in the area around the time of the holdup with Deputy Chief Mack Hawkins and Sgt. Michael DeMaine, the department's public information officer. They heard the report of the armed robbery on the police radio about 11:50 a.m. and noticed two men who looked a little out of place in a nearby neighborhood, said Sgt. Tim Irwin.

They got out of the police car and asked the men to stop so they can talk to them, but the men bolted, Irwin said. Sansom ran after one of the men — who he thought was armed — and tackled him with help from Hawkins, he said. It turned out the suspect, identified as Anthony Shipman, didn't have a gun on him; both guns, a .32-caliber revolver and a .22-caliber handgun, later were found at the King Court public housing complex.

DeMaine went after the second suspect with help from Officer Todd Mona and his police dog, Irwin said. They closed in on the man, identified as Jason Vaughn, joined by a legion of police officers who had been at the public safety complex for in-service training, he said.

Surrounded, Vaughn, surrendered on Ensign Street — but not before he tried to carjack a woman who was driving with two children in the car, police said.

In addition to the guns and other evidence, police seized a stolen Nissan Maxima they say was used by the suspects.

Shipman and Vaughn, both 30, were arrested and face a number of charges including first-degree robbery, carrying a weapon as a convicted felon and larceny, police said.

Vaughn also was charged with criminal attempt to commit carjacking and two counts of risk of injury.

Irwin said a police chief chasing and tackling a suspect is "unheard of." Sansom spent 20 years with Hartford police, where Hawkins worked as well.

"He's a hand-on guy," he said of Sansom. "He's out there with the troops fighting crime."

Police ask that anyone with more information about the robbery contact Det. Ellen Stoldt, 860-291-7524 or the department's crime tip line, 860-289-9134.